TEETH FACTORY
Where Beautiful Smiles Begin
Our Vision
To produce user-friendly dentures made with advanced technology to allow everyone to feel confident with their smiles.
Our Mission
To develop a more efficient and convenient method of sustainable dentures through technology and design.
What We Do
Affordable. Convenient. Durable.
How It Started
It started off as our Student Internship Programme (SIP) and a project under SUTD Design Odyssey 2.0 Programme.
Our aim is to allow everyone to be able to enjoy their food without any problems.
Problem Statement
Due to an increasing ageing population, there is a high demand for dental operations in Singapore . Currently, 30% of Singaporeans aged 60 and older have several dental issues which include being edentulous, also known as having missing teeth.
Depending upon the severity of the dental condition and the complexity of the dentures, patients would only receive their dentures 1 month after their first consultation.
Within this 1 month, patients are unable to have proper meals and their speech will be impaired. Furthermore, patients would require several days or weeks to become accustomed to their dentures after receiving them.
Our HMW Statement
How might we aim to hasten the production of full dentures?
The Idea
We intend to use Digital Dentistry to save time, save money and reduce frustrations.
What is Digital Dentistry?
Digital Dentistry refers to the use of dental technologies or devices to carry out dental procedures rather than the usage of mechanical or electrical tools. Digital Dentistry results in more efficient dental procedures compared to the use of mechanical tools, in both restorative and diagnostic purposes.
Competitor Analysis
The conventional method takes up to 30 days
1Dental Visit
Consultation, measurements and preparations for study model
2Manual Impression
Formation of impression of patient's teeth, including pouring and casting
3Send to Laboratory
Transfer of data by manual logistics
4Fabrication of Wax Rim
Help in removable protheses
5Setting Up
Usage of articulator for arrangement of teeth
6Flasking
Investing of cast and wax in a flask preparatory to mould the denture-base material into the form of the denture
7Wax Elimination
Removal of wax from mould
8Heat Cure Acrylic
Mixing of acrylic for better colour stability and increase strength of denture
9Packing and Curing
Filling and compressing a denture base matetial into a mould in the flask
10Trimming and Polishing
Trimming and polishing of final denture product
11Transfer to Dental Clinic
Delivery of the denture to the dentist for patient collection
12Completed Dentures
Verification of the completed dentures for the patient during try-in appointment
Process
Our process takes 2-3 days
1Dental Visit
Consultation, measurements and preparations for study model
2Digital Impression
Usage of impression mixing machine for formation of impression of patients teeth
3Transfer to Laboratory
Data sheet of patient from dentist will be sent to laboratory electronically
43D Scanner
Scanning of impression model to attain digital model
5Usage of EXOCAD
Usage of EXOCAD software to design and create the model
63D Printing
Printing of model created separately upper and lower (base & teeth)
7Insertion
Insert teeth into the printed base
8Transfer to Dental Clinic
Delivery of the denture to the dentist for patient collection
9Completed Dentures
Verification of the completed dentures for the patient during try-in appointment
Focal Points
3D printing of dentures
Usage of 3D Printer
In our design, we will be using 3D printing technology using Eden260V 3D printer to print out the full denture. The 3D printer can print a high quality denture in just 9 hours. This reduces the waiting time for patients to receive their dentures as well as the number of visits to get the dentures produced.
With this technology, dentures can be produced within a few days instead of a month!
EXOCAD
Software used in Digital Dentistry
EXOCAD is a software that consists of various features such as scanners, CAM integration, additive manufacturing and library integration. EXOCAD has a myriad of functions which include:
- Scan the study model of the patient's mouth to view the severity of the patient's dental condition
- Identify the optimum tooth path calculation to make it easier to design dentures that are more suitable for the patient
- Access numerous additive manufacturing systems for dental applications
- Access a complete set of implant libraries which supports the usage of titanium bases and the design of one-part abutments as well as screw-retained bridges
Potential Users
Grace S.
Age: 78
Occupation: Retired teacher
Problems Encountered: Troublesome maintenance, embarrassed without dentures, waiting time too long
Goals: Clear speech, upright jaw, appearance looks good
Peter C.
Age: 55
Occupation: Technician
Problems Encountered: Unable to enjoy hard foods, food enters gaps between dentures & gum, troublesome to handle
Goals: Raise self-esteem, enjoy meals
Mun Chye
Age: 67
Occupation: Cleaner
Problems Encountered: Too lazy to take extra care of dentures, have to adjust dentures frequently
Goals: Make dentures less troublesome for users
Meet H.I.X
We are a team of students from Temasek Polytechnic from the Diploma in Biomedical Engineering. We are currently participants of SUTD Design Odyssey 2.0 Programme.
Ka Hui Yi
Co-Founder
Hui Yi finds that applying engineering techniques to the human body is a fascinating and rewarding endeavour. She specialises as a researcher and looks forward to learning new things every day.
Nyimas Insyirah
Co-Founder
Insyirah aims to help improve people's lives through innovation and hard work. She plans to continue further studies in the Biomedical field. Her specialization is in the clinical field.
Chua Xin Yi
Co-Founder
Xin Yi aims to gather more experience and skills through this project. Using her exceptional hands-on electronic skills, she aims to come up with ideas that can help the people around her.
Contact Us
Interested in our cause? Feel free to drop us your contact information!